Irish buyers of sex are most likely to be over the age of 45, well-educated and in a relationship, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Immigrant Council of Ireland.

The results of the survey were presented at an international conference on sex trafficking and prostitution held in Dublin yesterday as part of the “Stop Traffick!” project, under which surveys were done in five countries including Ireland.

About one-quarter of Irish buyers said they had encountered sellers they believed were being exploited, however almost half (46 per cent) said they hadn’t considered reporting this to the police.

Although 12 Irish buyers reported they had considered contacting authorities over suspicions that a seller was controlled or had been trafficked, it is not known whether they actually contacted the police.

A total of 58 people took part in the Irish survey, 98 per cent of whom were male.

The largest proportion of Irish buyers (45 per cent) were aged 45 and over, 40 per cent were in the 25-44 age group and the remainder were under 25 years of age. More than half (52 per cent) were in a relationship, with 43 per cent saying they were single. The remaining 5 per cent gave no response.

Buyers were typically well-educated, with 48 per cent reporting a third-level education while almost one-third had second-level education.

Over one-quarter reported incomes of over €40,000. A higher figure (40 per cent) earned €20,000-€40,000 while those earning below €20,000 represented just over one-third of Irish buyers of sex.

The majority, 81 per cent, reported purchasing sex from females compared with 12 per cent who purchased sex from males.